It is a misconception that all young people in the community are selfish and uncaring, as the media often portray them. Instead, many show a great deal of care and compassion to people within the community.

Holy Family sixth form student Bethan Reynolds from Thornton has recently been given the prestigious award of “Crosby Lions Young Ambassador” for Sefton. The award comes with a magnificent trophy and a £500 grant for charities of Bethan’s choice. Bethan was selected for interview after her major involvement in both school and community projects. Her role for the coming year with Crosby Lions is to represent young people in the local community via charity fundraising and helping with Lions’ activities such as the Christmas Float which appears in Bootle over the festive season.

Bethan decided to split her £500 award between two charities very close to her heart. Firstly £250 will go to the Archdiocese of Liverpool’s annual pilgrimage to Lourdes in the summer. The money will be put towards providing funding for the sick to make the pilgrimage. Bethan has worked as a carer on this trip for the past four years and will be going again next summer. The second half of the award will be donated to Manna Discos and Social Nights, an organisation which arranges functions once a month for people in the community with physical and learning difficulties. Bethan is a regular helper at these events and is conscious of the benefits such activities bring.

Apart from her work with these two organisations Bethan has also completed her Duke of Edinburgh silver award as well as singing in the choir and playing the saxophone and the flute in the school orchestra. In addition she acted as a carer for her invalid grandmother when her grandfather was taken into hospital recently. She also finds time to study for her A Levels in French, Spanish and Psychology and hopes to go to university next year to study Psychology. Undoubtedly a shining example of the caring nature of the youth of today!

For further information about the Young Ambassador Scheme please visit:-